1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of and an apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages, which are used in the technical field of manufacturing sausages.
2. Description of the Related Art
A chain of linked sausages made up of a stuffed casing is manufactured by filling a sausage material into one casing and by forming the stuffed casing into a multiplicity of links. End processing for preventing the sausage material from leaking from its both ends is effected with respect to a leading end portion and a trailing end portion of the manufactured chain of the stuffed casing. For example, this end processing is conventionally carried out by using an apparatus disclosed in JP-B-63-177189U or JP-A-4-126032 before or after the chain of the stuffed casing is manually taken up onto a smoking stick. With such known end processing methods, prior to effecting end processing it is necessary to manually move either one or both of the chain of the linked stuffed casing and the end processing apparatus to a position where they are aligned. In addition, to effect end processing, it has been necessary for an operator to insert an end portion of the chain of natural intestine sausages into a sealing gap portion of the end processing apparatus while holding the end processing apparatus with one hand and holding the end portion of the intestine casing with the other hand. Thus, the method of end processing using a conventional apparatus involved much manual operation by the operator, so that the operating efficiency has been low.
The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described circumstances, and a first object of the invention is to provide a method of and an apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages, which allow the apparatus to be used by being connected to an apparatus which continuously effects the manufacture of sausages and formation of sausage loops. A second object of the invention is to provide a method of and an apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages. which do not require or practically do not require man power and are high in operating efficiency.
In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages, comprising the steps of: suspending a chain of natural intestine sausages by suspending means; immersing a leading end portion of the chain of natural intestine sausages in heating means: removing the leading end portion immersed in the heating means from the heating means: immersing a trailing end portion of the chain of natural intestine sausages in the heating means: and removing the tailing end portion immersed in the heating means from the heating means
In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages which is used together with suspending means for suspending and transporting a chain of natural intestine sausages, comprising: heating means having a liquid tank in which a heating liquid is stored and which is disposed at a position below suspending members of the suspending means.
In accordance with a third aspect of the invention, in the apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages according to the second aspect of the invention, the liquid tank has a length sufficient for causing a natural intestine casing to be immersed in the heating liquid during the time required for thermally contracting said natural intestine casing.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the invention, in the apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages according to the second aspect of the invention, the heating means has a heater for heating the heating liquid.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the invention, in the apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the heater Is disposed inside the liquid tank.
In accordance with the invention, it is possible to provide a method of and an apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages, which make it possible to continuously effect the end processing of the chain of sausages following the manufacture of sausages and formation of sausage loops. Further, in accordance with the invention, it is possible to provide a method of and an apparatus for processing ends of a chain of natural intestine sausages, which do not require or practically do not require man power and are high in operating efficiency.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.